Academic Senate Youngstown State University Youngstown, Ohio  44555

Note 1: Please submit agenda items and cover sheets for the October 3, 2001, Senate meeting to Bege Bowers, A&S Dean's Office, by noon on Friday, September 21. Provide both a hard copy and a disk copy of your report and cover sheet in Word or rich text format. A downloadable cover sheet is available at the Academic Senate web site:

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Major topics presented/discussed: Solicitation of nominations for chair of the Senate and members of the Charter and Bylaws Committee; address by new Provost Tony Atwater; appointment of ad hoc committees on global awareness, assessment of classrooms, and ethics; OFC report on higher education in Ohio; errors in the list of programs and minors attached to the Senate agenda; need to submit proposals for courses that meet the general education "intensive" requirement by the end of fall semester.

Call to Order:

Jim Morrison, chair of the Academic Senate, called the meeting to order at 4:04 p.m. He announced three events—prompted by Tuesday's tragedies—to take place September 13: a prayer/reflection service at 3:00 p.m., a forum on terrorism at 4:00 p.m., and a "Light a Candle for Unity" rally at 10:00 p.m.

Nominations for Chair of the Senate and Members of the Charter and Bylaws Committee: According to the Senate Bylaws, the first order of business at the opening Senate meeting of the academic year is to be nominations for chair of the Senate and for open positions on the Charter and Bylaws Committee.

Nominations for chair of the Senate:

Louise Aurilio, last year's chair of the Elections and Balloting Committee, noted that forms soliciting nominations for chair of the Senate were mailed to Senate members, resulting in written nominations of three persons: Kathylynn Feld, Jim Morrison, and Tom Shipka. Aurilio called for additional nominations from the floor. There being none, the names of Feld, Morrison, and Shipka will appear on the mail ballot.

Nominations for members of the Charter and Bylaws Committee:

Aurilio then called for nominations for the three open positions on the Charter and Bylaws Committee. The following three individuals were nominated for two-year terms: Scott Martin, Victor Wan-Tatah, and Nancy White. Dale Harrison, whose term is ending, was also suggested but had sent word that, because of personal commitments, he respectfully declines nomination. The Bylaws stipulate that the election take place by mail ballot.

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Address by new Provost Tony Atwater: Provost Atwater, whom the Senate Executive Committee had invited to speak, prefaced his address with the following remarks:

It’s great to be here. I’ve had a chance to talk with many of you and look forward to talking with more of you. I will work hard to learn faculty members’ names. 

 

Today, we are all still responding to and analyzing the unfortunate occurrences of yesterday. In addition to the emotional and political impact, they had a particular impact on me because when I was a full-time faculty member, media coverage of international terrorism was a major focus of my research. I’ve done a great deal of study of terrorism, how the media cover it, and the implications for responding to it. I’m optimistic that the country is strong and will be able to move on and respond appropriately to this attack.

Also, today my wife Beverly and I closed on a house in the Youngstown area. We move tomorrow, and we’re looking forward to being citizens of the Youngstown community.

The following is a summary of Atwater’s address:

1. The role of an “active” and dedicated faculty governance body is an important factor in helping universities dance with the currents of change in higher education in the new millennium. A lot of change is going on in higher education. Higher education is viewed as important to the knowledge economy, but it’s not always well supported by state legislatures. When I was at Northern Kentucky University, I experienced something similar. Kentucky, like Ohio, has viewed a college degree as not essential to quality of life and per capita income. Yet data show a strong correlation between completion of a college degree and the quality of life and per capita income. From 1950 to 1990, there was a direct correlation between the decline in the number of Ohio residents with 4-year college degrees and the per capita income.  This is a wake-up call to the Ohio Legislature and the corporate community: It’s time that higher education receive a higher priority. As the Legislature is rethinking how it can better support higher education, we as educators cannot allow our goals and objectives to stand on the sidelines. We have to respond to many of the changes that are occurring in technology, distributed education, and carrying higher education beyond the borders of our main campus sites. Faculty members face changes as well. They are being challenged to do more in terms of outreach and public engagement. YSU is devoted to the "scholarship of engagement." Faculty are serving the region as "public intellectuals." Students serve it as "scholar citizens" and are involved in many opportunities that have a positive impact on the region. As an officer in academic affairs, let me stress how important it is for us to have a very collegial and cooperative relationship. There will always be differences of opinion, but it’s important that we work together and collegially for the good of the institution. It’s also important for you to know that I’m not going to work outside the Academic Senate. The Senate is the chief academic governing body of the institution and needs to serve that role. I was at the University of Toledo. I’m sure you’ve heard about the presidency there of someone with an autocratic approach. He’s still feared among faculty and the chief governing body of that institution. I saw in that scenario how a chief academic governing body paralyzed by fear can be counterproductive to advancement of an institution. The University of Toledo is now recovering, but the situation had a negative impact. It’s important to have a collegial and mutually respectful relationship between administrators and faculty; we must work together for the good of the institution, faculty, students, and the community.

2. As your provost, I will rely heavily on your counsel and support in helping YSU to advance in an austere fiscal environment.

3. As I begin my administration, I have made some observations: YSU has many strengths that have not been widely promoted and acknowledged in the five-county region and beyond. I’ll be working with the President to emphasize those strengths and raise the profile of YSU in a way that positively reflects on those strengths. Those strengths are often "best-kept secrets."  The Center for Working-Class Studies is one that gives me inspiration and that may be a niche for us. It is doing exciting, innovative things; it’s such a reflection of the region. When I think about niche areas, I ask "What are some areas that are unique for us?" We’re in a region historically rich for dealing with organized labor. The Center for Working-Class Studies and other initiatives could become a major, multi-disciplinary institution for studying the history, culture, and evolution of labor studies. I encourage faculty to consider this as one area for pursuing grant funding and scholarly interests.  It is an area that can go beyond the Center and become a University-wide effort; it can make YSU resonate on a national and international scale. We’re working on a branding and image campaign through the Marcus Thomas advertising and public relations firm. You’ll be hearing more about this. YSU has need of stronger support for faculty development. We’ll be working to address this need. There’s also a need for University-wide recognition for outstanding scholarship and service among faculty; we’ll look at reward structures that recognize outstanding contributions by faculty. The faculty is dedicated to student success, and our academic programs are of high quality and diverse. The research done by Marcus Thomas shows that students were impressed (1) with how conscientious and strong the faculty are and (2) with the wide array of academic programs the University offers. These are two selling points we need to make known to the community. YSU has excellent opportunities for public engagement that will promote the region’s economic development. This is the essence of being a metropolitan university: when not only students but also faculty, through their scholarship and public engagement, have a stakeholder’s interest in the economic development and success of the region.

4. A strategic-planning process will be undertaken to promote the academic development of YSU. The Academic Senate will be a key player in the success of this effort and its future impact. You’ll hear more about this in the next few weeks. Jim Morrison and I have been having discussions, and I look forward to working with the Senate Executive Committee to see that the Senate is actively involved in the planning process. Students, faculty, staff, and community leaders must be involved.  The timetable will be tight. We will work significantly over this semester and a small portion of spring semester. We want a draft of the strategic plan to go to the Board of Trustees in time for the Board’s March 2002 meeting. This timeframe drives us to identify our priorities, assess them, and move forward. The working title of the plan is "Designing Our Future in the 21st Century: The Centennial Strategic Plan of Youngstown State University." The process is focused on helping the University advance into and beyond 2008, the centennial anniversary of the University.

5. Other major objectives pursued by the Office of the Provost during the 2001-2002 academic year will be the following: The deployment of a major University center devoted to faculty development and promoting the scholarship of teaching and learning You should be aware that CATALYST is going to take on added strength and impact at YSU. CATALYST is the Center for the Advancement of Teaching and Learning at Youngstown State. The President and I have been working to help develop this into a major University center that will promote faculty development and the scholarship of teaching and learning. Efforts are underway to select a permanent director for the Center, which will play a significant role in addressing faculty development needs. Successful searches to fill deans’ positions for half of the University’s academic colleges We are seeking to fill deans’ positions for three colleges: Arts and Sciences, Education, and Engineering. We plan to follow the traditional search cycle and fill the positions by July 1, 2002. This is an important task. Advertisements will go out in the October Chronicle of Higher Education and other publications. Success in negotiating a new faculty contract with YSU’s chapter of the Ohio Education Association This has to be a collaborative, mutually respectful process. We are living in austere times at the University, but we also want to support our faculty. This is an important year for us. I’m optimistic that we will come out of the discussions with a mutually agreed-upon package that will be beneficial to faculty. Support for academic quality through continuing a University-wide program-review process The review process was put on hold, due in large part to conversion to semesters; we want to look at program review as a University-wide vehicle for strengthening and realigning our academic programs. You will hear more about this.

6. I want to thank the faculty for its efforts in our enrollment success.  I am grateful for the opportunity to serve a great University, whose future I sincerely believe to be bright. The enrollment numbers are encouraging; enrollment continues to increase. The latest figures show that the headcount increased by 3.9 percent; FTE, by more than 6 percent. Congratulations! For enrollment management to be successful, the academic division has to be integrally involved in the process. Enrollment management involves not only the registrar’s office and student-services areas but also faculty, deans, the Provost, and all of us. Students have a special role to play as ambassadors.  Enrollment is a both a priority and an "outcome" for the University—an outcome of a university fulfilling its role in very positive ways.

7. Our biennial budget is a flat one. However, working together, we can accomplish some critical and important goals benefiting faculty, students, staff, and the community at large. As you know, we have had a 1 percent increase for 2001-2002; for 2002-2003, there is no increase from the state. We must work together to accomplish our goals.

8. The road ahead will not be an easy ride, but it is important that YSU succeed in its mission and objectives. Certainly, our success as an institution (in the coming years) will signal the future success of the tri-county region and beyond. Your support and positive efforts today and in the future will be the difference, and our successful collaboration will ensure the promising future for YSU that I know we will enjoy. It’s great to be your provost; I look forward to becoming more acquainted with you and working with you as chief academic officer.

Minutes of the Previous Meeting:

Minutes of the 2 May 2001 meeting were approved as posted.

To view the May minutes, click here; click your “Back” button as necessary to return to the September minutes.

Senate Executive Committee (SEC) / Report from the Chair: Jim Morrison announced that the SEC has met and taken a number of actions since May:

• It was the wish of the Senate to create a standing Senate committee on global awareness. In the absence of appropriate language from the Charter and Bylaws Committee to amend the Bylaws, the SEC appointed an ad hoc Global Awareness Committee (GAC), to be chaired, at least temporarily, by Stephen Hanzely. That committee has been meeting. Members of the GAC are listed on page 3 of the committee list on the Senate Web site. Additional members will be added when we have the appropriate language.

• During the summer, the Senate was asked to supply faculty names for a committee on the assessment of classroom conditions. The committee is asked to create standards for assessing classroom condition, and perhaps to establish priorities for renovating existing classrooms. Charles Singler will chair the committee; names of members appear on page 3 of the committee list on the Senate Web site.

• In his beginning-of-the-year address, the President invited the Senate to take up the issue of ethical standards. As you know, the Senate created and adopted the YSU Statement of Ethics  in 1997. That statement was subsequently adopted by the Board of Trustees and incorporated in at least two board policies concerning professional standards, none of which apply directly to the faculty. 

The President has challenged us to review the ethics statement and see whether it is appropriate to convert it into a firmer statement of professional standards, a code of ethics. I and the SEC think the review should include those other board policies that deal with professional conduct, including the one mandated by the federal government concerning funded research and integrity of research. The SEC has appointed representatives from each college and the administration to form at least an initial review committee:

David Burns, WCBA

Dennis Henneman, FPA  drhennem@www.ysu.edu

Randy Hoover, Education

Tammy King, BCHHS   taking@www.ysu.edu

Elvin Shields, Engineering & Technology  ebshields@www.ysu.edu

Thomas Shipka, Administration  tashipka@www.ysu.edu

J-C. Smith, Dale Ethics Center, A&S (Chair) jcsmith@www.ysu.edu

There is room for two or three more people on the committee; contact J-C. Smith  if you are interested in serving.

Any document the ad hoc committee creates and brings to the Senate for ratification is in no way intended to intrude upon the normal processes of collective bargaining, which has been the venue for the playing out of procedures concerning faculty rights.

Ohio Faculty Council (OFC) Report: Tom Shipka, our elected representative to the OFC, summarized his OFC report, which appeared as Attachment 1 of the agenda for the September 12 Senate meeting:

• The most recent meeting of the Ohio Faculty Council was at the Ohio Board of Regents on Friday, May 11. Among the items discussed was the OBOR paper entitled “The Case for Further Deregulation of Ohio Higher Education,” which is available on the Senate Web site; an OBOR survey of Ohio part-time faculty, which is available on the OBOR Web site (type “part-time faculty report” in the search space); and the Chancellor’s comments on the evolving budget process in the Legislature. The next meeting of the OFC has been changed from September 14 to September 21.

Shipka added the following supplement to the report:

• As a follow-up, I want to mention some developments after the May 11 OFC meeting.  The Legislature approved an essentially flat budget for higher education with authorization for institutions to raise tuition, and last week the Ohio Supreme Court ordered the Legislature to modify its spending plan for elementary and secondary education by accelerating the phase-in of parity aid and by increasing the per student spending level. Also, importantly, the new biennial budget for higher education has a provision for a special committee to review the subsidy formula and so-called Challenge funding and report its findings and recommendations to the Legislature prior to the next budget proposal. The committee will consist of three members of the House, three members of the Senate, one representative from OBOR, two representatives of the two-year colleges, and two representatives of the four-year universities.

I do not believe that this special committee was a direct response to our resolution last spring recommending a special commission on higher education funding in Ohio to reverse the funding slide. Further, the new higher education budget raises enrollment caps by 1000 FTEs at five institutions—Bowling Green State University, Kent State University, Miami University, Ohio University, and The Ohio State University.

Shipka concluded by thanking all faculty, staff, and students who contacted members of the Legislature or the Governor as part of our lobbying effort in the spring and early summer.

Charter and Bylaws Committee: Dale Harrison, outgoing chair of the committee, was unable to attend the September 12 Senate meeting. However, he sent word that, before the next Senate meeting, the committee will meet to compose language related to making the Global Awareness Committee a standing Senate committee. Send any relevant information to Harrison.

Elections and Balloting Committee: Louise Aurilio, last year's committee chair, reported that the College of Fine and Performing Arts is completing its Senate elections; encourage colleagues to run. The Elections and Balloting Committee will meet at the end of the month to elect a chair.

Academic Standards Committee: No report.

Academic Programs Committee: No additional report. (The committee submitted a written report, which was attached to the agenda for the September 12 Senate meeting as Attachment 2). 

Bob Hogue, CSIS, noted two errors in that report: The post graduate certificate program listed as Electronic Technology should have been listed as Electronic Commerce Technology. The minor listed as Electronic Technology should also have been listed as Electronic Commerce Technology.

Janice Elias, Provost's Office, noted a third error in the report: The minor listed as Communication Skills should have been listed as Communication Studies.

University Curriculum Committee: No report.

Academic Planning Committee: No report.

General Education Committee (GEC):  Bill Jenkins, chair of the committee, made the following announcements:

The GEC is emphasizing the need to submit/certify an adequate number of intensive courses this fall. Jenkins has met with the Deans’ Council and the Provost. It’s extremely important to provide enough intensive courses, given our commitment to students and to the general education program we passed in the Senate.

Last year, our efforts were directed toward conversion to the new GER and to semesters. There wasn’t as immediate a need for the intensives since only new students would need them. Those students are now sophomores, however, and last year the Senate passed a rule that transfers and re-enrolling students must also take intensives. 

Jenkins and committee members are available to help chairs and departments get the intensives done.

Diana Fagan, Biological Sciences: Is there a deadline for submitting proposals for intensives?

Jenkins: Submit them by the end of fall semester if at all possible.

A list of recently approved general education courses that have cleared the objection stage appeared as Attachment 3 to the agenda for the September 12 Senate meeting. A list of all certified general education courses appears on the General Education Web site at http://www.ysu.edu/ger/.

Integrated Technologies Committee, University Outreach Committee, Library Committee, Academic Research Committee, Student Academic Affairs Committee, Student Academic Grievance Committee, Honors Committee, and Academic Events Committee:  No reports.

Unfinished business:  None.

New business:  None.

Adjournment:  The meeting adjourned at 4:56 p.m.